In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. We also grow a smaller number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘Pearl Princess III’.
The present variety was hybridized by us in 2008 as a first generation cross using ‘Pearl Princess V’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,919) peach as the selected seed parent and ‘0P9’ yellow flesh peach (unpatented) as the selected pollen parent. Upon reaching maturity the fruit of this cross was gathered, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in our greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of our experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2012 we selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproductions were true to the original tree in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its pollen parent, ‘0P9’ peach (unpatented), by being self-fertile and by producing fruit that is large in size, mostly red in skin color, and globose in shape, but is quite distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is white instead of yellow in flesh color, that is firmer in texture, and that ripens about forty-five days later.
The present variety is most similar to its seed parent, ‘Pearl Princess V’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,919) peach, by having showy blossoms, by having reniform leaf glands, by being self-fertile, and by producing white flesh peaches that are mostly red in skin color, nearly globose in shape, and firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by having a smaller and less vigorous tree, by blooming earlier, by requiring less chilling hours, and by producing fruit that is clingstone instead of freestone in type, that is somewhat lower in acid, and that matures about seven days earlier.
The present variety is also similar to ‘Ivory Queen’ peach tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,496), by having a medium size tree, by having showy blossoms, by having reniform leaf glands, by being self-fertile, and by producing white flesh peaches that are clingstone in type, mostly red in skin color, nearly globose in shape, firm in texture, and sub-acid in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by blooming much earlier, by requiring less chilling hours, and by producing fruit that is much larger in size and that matures about five days earlier.